slkinsey

Curaçao of Curaçao claims to be the original curaçao liqueur. I understand that it's pretty good. I've seen it at retail in NYC (although, of course, now I can't remember where). I believe this the one made by Senior & Co.

These stories are another reason I've gone over to a metal-on-metal Boston shaker arrangement. Since both the small and large parts of the shaker are flexible it is considerably easier to break the seal, and you never need to worry that you might break any glass. Even the fanciest Boston shaker can't compete with a really nice cobble shaker on looks, so I don't feel that much is lost asthetically by going all-metal. It makes a cool snapping sound when you break the seal, and because you can wrap your fingers around the top part of the smaller piece, it gives you added security to do things like this without worrying that the shaker will fly apart (which eventually happens to everyone with the glass-and metal kind):

I would like to clarify this a bit. Lead is bad because it is bad for your health. Aluminum is bad because it makes your booze taste funny, not because it is bad for your health. Aluminum is the third most common element in the Earth's crust, so we're all taking in plenty of it every day.

Pyewacket, there are a couple of reasons you may not often get what you want on an Old Fashioned. As you rightly point out, Old Fashioned making isn't at a very high level right now. There are also several traditions for making an Old Fashioned. The most traditional kind of Old Fashioned is composed simply of strong spirit, sugar, bitters and a lemon peel with a big piece of ice. No fruit, no muddling, no splash of soda and certainly no Southern Comfort. That's what you would get if you asked for an Old Fashioned in a top NYC bar or at my house. What you're looking for is a not uncommon modern take on the Old Fashioned -- although I would suggest that it's really an entirely different drink -- and even then there are variations. Some people want the fruit muddled, some don't. Some people want soda, some don't. All this is to say that muddled fruit and a splash of soda is by no means standard for an Old Fashioned. I don't know where Southern Comfort comes from in an Old Fashioned. I've never heard of that. Perhaps some people started using it as a labor-saving measure because it is already sweetened? In any event, if your preferred formula is Jack Daniels with muddled fruit and a splash of soda, I don't think you can expect that most every bartender will have the same idea as you. It would probably be a good idea to develop a standard and clear set of instructions to use when you order this drink so you always get what you want. I have something similar I developed to use when ordering Martinis, Manhattans and Rob Roys at bars that aren't advanced cocktail places (e.g., "two to one, stirred, up with a twist. . . and gimme a dash of bitters if you have any").

FotF, do you have any actual amounts for this recipe? Powers is an Irish whiskey. You can substitute either Jameson or Bushmills, both of which have wide availability.

STK also has a web site with further information: http://stkhouse.com/ Apparently they plan to have a DJ for a "sexy vibe" and they say they are "a steakhouse with a conscience and sex appeal" I wonder what the conscience part is all about?

I'd like to think this is true. And I believe it largely is true. But it doesn't have to be true. Organic growers can do all kinds of things that are horrible for the environment, so long as they do it the "organic way." This includes things as mundane as irrigation techniques and water sourcing to the use of pesticides and antifungals like oil, bacillus thuringiensis, copper sulfate, pyrethrum and rotenone -- many of which have far greater toxicity and environmental impact than manufactured pesticides (copper sulfate, for example, has been banned in Europe because it is a permanent soil contaminant that has high toxicity for both humans and fish -- it is still allowed in the US). All this is to say that it is entirely possible for a "not organic" farm to have a much smaller environmental footprint than an "organic" farm. It takes a lot of grain to make distilled spirits, so I think I'm safe in assuming that Square One isn't buying from small farms.

So... I just got back from dropping a cool buck twenty at Kalustyan's (pomegranate molasses, quince lemon syrup, tamarind syrup, 3 different kinds of bitters, black vinegar, rice wine vinegar, dashi ingredients, dried giant pozole, Mexican oregano, tumeric, etc.). Anyone else inspired by this blog to visit Kalustyan's? Am I the first?

I have no idea why this just came into my head, but I thought: greens (mustard or collard, perhaps in some kind of chiffonaded form) and spaetzle.

One word on price: I don't quite understand the difficulty some people have with the idea of shelling out a couple hundred bucks for a superior pan that will last the rest of their lives. Now... I can understand not wanting to pay two hundred bucks when a better or equivalent pan can be had for half as much. But think of it this way: a two hundred dollar pan costs less than a television that will only last a few years.

Re Green Chartreuse: mizducky, you could do worse than this. . .

As with many things in the kitchen, it depends on what you use the pan for. If it's a saucepot that you use for boiling water and steaming vegetables, you won't tell a bit of difference between heavy copper and thin stainless steel. If it's a saute pan that you use for high heat cooking, heavy aluminum or copper will absolutely outperform thin stainless steel. That said, you may not find that copper significantly outperforms aluminum for this kind of pan (I recommend thick aluminum disk bottom designs for most saute pans). If it's a pan you use to do things make temperature-sensitive sauces, melt chocolate and heat eggs for custards over direct heat, etc. you will very likely notice a difference between copper and anything else. As John points out, there is the issue of weight. Copper weighs more than aluminum and thin stainless steel, although not as much as cast iron. If weight is an issue for you (it isn't for me) then it's something you should take under consideration. There is no definitive "best" in cookware. Choosing a cookware design is all about figuring out what's best for you, your budget, your cooking style, your specific cooking needs (as well as the needs of your cooking task), your strengths and your weaknesses. I find that overkill is almost as common as having bad cookware.

My understanding is that Jamaica Ginger wasn't exactly an alcohol infusion of ginger. Rather, it was a patent medicine presumably(?) containing other stuff as well. I know that it was adulterated with tri-o-tolyl phosphate during the prohibition years, causing a characteristic organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy popularly known as "jake leg" in those who drank enough of it. I wonder how long an alcohol infusion of ginger will retain its bite. Gingerol, which is largely responsible for the spicy bite of ginter, changes over time into the compound zingerone. Zingerone is not present in fresh ginger and it's an aromatic flavor compound that isn't spicy-hot like gingerol. Anyway... I'm interested to hear your results. Why did you choose dry ginger over fresh? I imagine that the dry variety doesn't have as much gingerol as the fresh. Are you trying it in any of the cocktails mentioned at cocktailDB?

Nice. Except that a Manhattan s made with rye whiskey.

Okay, folks. Let's drift this back on-topic.

Interesting stuff, Tim. I'm going to convert your measurements to metric, which is more usual for cookware thickness. 1985 MasterChef: 3.68 mm (0.145") Later MasterChef: 3.43 mm (0.135") Later LTD: 3.35 mm (0.132") Original MC-2: 3.43 mm (0.135") New MC-2: 3.05 mm (0.120") Stainless: 2.54 mm (0.100")

Yep. Your results are more or less in line with what everyone seems to find. Stirring with crushed (or finely cracked) ice produces the coldest drink. This is all about two things: 1. Starting with very cold ice, and 2. increasing surface area for thermal transfer. Somewhere in my email archives I have a conversation I had with Audrey and I think Dave where I explained some of the science behind why this is the case. I'll have to see if I can drag it out some time. The thermodynamics of cocktails would probably make a valuable and interesting thread all on its own.

Pegu Club in SoHo Flatiron Lounge Brandy Library in TriBeCa

Yellow Chartreuse and tequila. Very cool.

Companies that sell "regular" salt aren't exactly synthesizing it up out of sodium and chloride. They're mining it (largely by injection of water and evaporation of the brine). And how did the salt deposits get into those mines? From the evaporation of ancient seas. By federal law, by the way, edible salt must be at least 97.5 percent sodium chloride. In reality, even for "sea salt," it's typically 99 percent or more.

I assumed as much. But, damn it Dave, you're putting a damper on my calling bullshit on their marketing hoo-ha. Especially since "once through a four column distiller" would seem to equal "distilled four times."

Interesting. Where did you read that Square One is distilled to lower proof? There reaches a point, IMO, where if the product isn't distilled to high enough proof and isn't rectified, it's perhaps better to descriobe is as a kind of mild whiskey than a vodka. Square One's own publicity materials say that it's produced in a "four column distiller," which sounds like regular high-proof rectification to me.

The article by Florence Fabricant is entitled Tea's Got a Brand New Bag Here is a short quote:

I'd say that the bbq is maybe not quite as good as Dinosaur -- but it could be only by a small margin. That beef rib is outstanding. Significantly for me at least, it's a hell of a lot easier to get to and there's never a wait for a table. Their fried chicken is the first in the City (other than my own) that I've really liked, but it sounds like there may be some variability still. Ask for all dark meat. I really like the sides. It's too bad that Fat Guy didn't try the baked beans, because I swear they're half pork.

As far as I can tell, it's a brand. http://www.plantationrum.com